As the search continues for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, con artists are apparently counting on people's curiosity to pull off online scams.

Consumer watchdogs said disasters always trigger an onslaught of online scams. In this case, the Better Business Bureau said people can be targeted on social media or through bogus news links, putting their personal information at risk.

As the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 stretches into its second month, information is still scarce about the missing jetliner and the 239 people onboard, which is why the headlines about the search are so intriguing.

Angie Barnett of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland said con artists are planting fake links that prey on people's curiosity about the missing plane.

"You can click on the links of what you think is video of the crash, and it will actually release malware onto your computer. That's always the most devastating," Barnett said.

She said in some cases, con artists have doctored old video of actual plane crashes to make it look like the Malaysian jetliner, and as people watch the footage, malicious software invades their computer or smartphone.

"It's social media or links that can release malware or acquire your personal information. Every keystroke that you put in, it copies and transmits or actually crashes your computer," Barnett said.

She said Twitter and Facebook are two avenues for scammers, but searching for recent news on "Malaysian Airlines" can bring up bogus headlines, too. Barnett said people should make sure to look at the source of any link before clicking and added that this type of con is difficult to police because web-savvy scammers often switch domain names to avoid getting caught.

"They shut these sites down themselves, but they can turn around and purchase or acquire another domain name and so easily pop up immediately with another one and pass it forward. It's just like passing on a bad cold. You're spreading that virus," Barnett said.

She added that anyone who has exposed themselves to one of those scams, or if they want to proactively protect themselves, they should stay current on their antivirus software.